Sunday, December 15, 2013

American Exceptionalism

American Exceptionalism

America is great, but it is also a country with among the most guns, most gun killings, and most incarcerated citizens. It is shameful that we can't find a way to limit numbers and types of guns and also better laws ensuring that only qualified people can own guns.

And, it is even more shameful that, as one of the world's oldest and leading democracies, America is undergoing a widespread concerted attack on the voting rights of citizens. Methods to curtail voting have included voter IDs and limits on registrations and early voting. Some courts and in some cases the Justice Department have acted to stop or delay these tactics. But there needs to be a sweeping investigation using subpoena and other powers to show the motivation and nationwide cooperation of the GOP.

I contend that the case against these laws and tactics should not be difficult. I believe that states have an inherent duty to enhance voting, just as it has a duty to care for the safety of its citizens. A state could not build a road and fail to provide RR crossing signs. Nor could it
unreasonably reduce the size of those signs.

Similarly, a state should not be able to fail to provide for easy registration and voting, including reasonable early voting. Particularly egregious would be failure to provide polling places and machines adequate for the voting district. And, as for voter IDs, given the lack of need for them, one could argue that literacy tests made more sense.